Submitted by: Dan Rich

Rev. Nicholas J. Stoffel C.S.C.

About 1950 – Mar. 19, 1902

South Bend Weekly Newspaper 3/22/1902

Rev. Nicholas J. Stoffel C.S.C., for many years pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church at East LaSalle and Hill Street, died at 6 a.m. Wednesday after an illness of several weeks. He was taken with inflammatory rheumatism and later developed a very severe case of Bright’s disease.

On Saturday he was removed from his residence near the church to St. Joseph Hospital. The intention was to convey him to the infirmary at Notre Dame University and it was thought best to have him rest a short period at the hospital before proceeding further. Wednesday he appeared to be better and walked from the hospital to a carriage and was taken to the Notre Dame infirmary. He withstood the journey very well, but during the night suffered a severe attack and later passed away.

Father Stoffel was 52 years of age. He was born in Luxemburg and received his early education in Luxemburg University. In 1872 he came to America, going immediately to Notre Dame where he took up studies and underwent religious training to fit himself for the priesthood as a member of the Order of Holy Cross. He was ordained at Notre Dame in October, 1878, and later became an instructor at the university.

About1887 he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church and for the past 15 years had zealously looked after the religious needs of his growing congregation. At the time he devoted himself to study, to writing and to teaching Greek at Notre Dame.

Father Stoffel, who was one of the most learned of men, was the author of a number  of works. Among them is “An Epitome of the Life of Christ’ written in Greek, and the only one of the kind in the world. This book gave him a reputation in Europe. He also produced translations of “Antigon” and “Oeditus Tyrannus”, two Greeks fables, which added to his reputation as a scholar as did the Greek play which he wrote and which was  presented by Notre Dame students. At the time of his death he was engaged on another Greek work.